Hotel Class: 
4.5 Stars - 328 Opinions
700 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
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of people enjoy staying here
328 Opinions
Classy, ultra-contemporary restaurant on Main, at the 21c hotel. Flawless service, friendly staff, and a fabulous maitre-d.. 3 words: Octopus Bagna Cauda. WOW....tender octopus cooked in garlic butter and served in a small cast-iron skillet...better than the 'pulpo' we had in Spain (I hope my Spanish friends don't read this)
I spent my birthday weekend at the 21C Museum Hotel and it was perfect. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful, the hotel is gorgeous, and the whole thing was utterly relaxing. I love the modern design and the proximity to great boutiques and cafes. The lobby gallery is also gorgeous! Our meal at Proof was amazing -- great shrimp risotto, squash and walnut pasta, bison burger, etc. It was all fantastic. It was worth the splurge for sure!
What a wonderful hotel . from the website I thought .."OK. this will be trendy hotel with some ART on the walls". I never thought it would be a full scale museum. What a great museum it is.
The room was very large and had every thing already thought out for you. The ammenities in the bathroom were superior, Main and Goetz..The plasma TV was a nice touch.
In particular. The turn down service was amazing. They even turn on video installations for your return to the room.
Proof on Main had incredible food and service. Where other hotels attempt to be modern and artistic the 21c Museum Hotel actually pulls it of and without an ounce of pretention or inflated rates.
When you go be sure to take advantage of the great spa and gym facilities off the lower galleries. Also don't miss the smoke installation in the alcove off of the front door. Smoke rings being shot 30 feet into the air.
I loved the place and will definitely be back !
My husband and I went to see Thunder over Louisville, the best fireworks show! We stayed at 21C Museum Hotel on the Penguin Passion Package - it included a king room with terrace, food credit of $75, his/her massages for 1/2 hr, rose petals, chocolate covered strawberries, champagne & "love dust." This was all waiting for us in the room when we checked in. We loved all of the fun art throughout the hotel. Our massages were great, the food at Proof on Main was wonderful, and martinis at their bar after the fireworks were strong & tasty! At dinner we had the country pate, baked ricotta, scallop dinner & he braved eating the Bison. For dessert we shared a chocolate cheesecake. We enjoyed everything we had. The only drawback of the room for us was that there are two terrace rooms that share a terrace, but it didn't offer any privacy. The people next to us were having a party that at times spilled onto our terrace so we really couldn't have a romantic time while enjoying a glass of wine out there. I think the hotel should put up some sort of partition that can come down if necessary. We did like our "neighbors" so at least we didn't mind being out there with them. We also were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go from here-down to the riverside to see the fireworks, down to 4th Street Live, the Slugger museum, the Imax theater & Glassworks. This is a great hotel, with great food, service & location - can't wait to go back!
Visited for a long weekend on my girlfriend and my 3 year anniversary. The corner suite had four large windows, two overlooking a small green space, marking the place where the city was first founded. Decor was beautifully balanced between antique inspired and modern. Bed was comfortable and warm, bathroom had spacious seperate shower and shower/tub unit. FLAVIA tea and coffee were provided, mini bar was suitably stocked with some cute touches (Jelly Bellies?). Great room service and wonderful, fun staff. The restaurant, Proof, is wonderful and the chef is more than willing to make special accomodations for special diets (my girlfriend and I are vegetarians).
We've stayed here twice and love it like most of the other reviewers. It is relaxing, cutting-edge and makes you smile. This would be a highly rated edgy boutique hotel if it were located in Soho NYC - but its in Louisville! Lucky for you if you need a hotel in Louisville. Good late bar scene (and the food in the bar is good too.)
This is the 2nd time I have stayed at the 21C. Last year I stayed the week after it opened and there were a few kinks. This time was really great. The hotel is in a renovated old building with about 100 or so rooms. The rooms are average sized but with wonderul touches like a flat screen TV, Ipods, Malin & Goetz batch producst and MODERN ART! What could be more fun. Their signature (or at least I think it is) are ref penguins.
The restaurant, Proof on Main is exquisite. I met some girls for a "girls weekend." It is the perfect spot. Within walking distanceto many restaurants and nightspots. One night we asked the concierge to make reservations at Mortons. She was unable to get us in so she suggested The Jazz Factory. Although it was a nice place, it was more of a bar than restaurant. We had a drink and went elsewhere. It struck us all odd that if we were wanting something like Morton's, she would send us there. Hmmm. We could not figure out the though behind it.
The bar is a mix of fun, funky young and 40ish (like us) alike. The waitstaff were very friendly but one of the bartenders was downright rude. We actually remembered him from last year as being rude too! Perhaps he looked at us like TOURISTS but he had no problem taking our money and tips! They should definately get rid of him.
All in all, I would return again and will!
This hotel is quite beautiful and very soothing. From the outside it does not look like a hotel at all; the lobby does not look like a hotel, either. The low-slung wood reception desk held fresh flowers and candles and you were invited to sit in a carved stool to check in.
21C really is a lovely art museum as well as a boutique hotel. The service was exceptional from the moment we arrived. The valet took our car immediately, and for the rest of our visit the concierge remembered not only our names but our valet number. When we left something in the car, the concierge insisted on getting it for us and bringing it to our room (immediately).
The room was spacious and relaxing, with modern but comfortable furnishings, several nice mirrors, beautiful fixtures in the bathroom, and a very comfortable bed with feather comforter and pillows. The closet held two very luxurious robes. The bathroom held very nice amenities, including face cleanser and face moisturizer. Even the shower curtain was modern and had nice clean lines (and it was *fabric* not cheap plastic).
We enjoyed the art all around the hotel, including the installation art in front of the elevators and the smoke ring art visible from many windows. As one reviewer pointed out, there is modern art with some naked subjects. If this offends you or might shock your children, this is not the place for you. But it was all very nice and tasteful art--from sculptures of nake, multi-ethnic children to about 20 photos of a woman's breast in various stages of uncover in the restaurant bar.
Both nights we were visited for turn down service. The first night we were in our room, so they simply offered us ice and asked if we needed anything and then left us alone. The second night we were not there when they visited. They turned down the bed, left candy, turned the flat screen tv onto the art channel (with a rocking, sinking boat--generally soothing but somewhat disturbing if you have had too many drinks), and filled the ice bucket.
The work area was nice, with a Herman Miller chair and free internet.
The window dressings were lovely and helpful--there were curtains as well as Hunter Douglas blinds and blackout shades. Very nice if you want to sleep in.
The hotel restaurant, Proof, is one of the best in Louisville (which is saying a lot; L'ville has fabulous restaurants). We had a fabulous dinner (the baked octopus is unbelievable) and a very nice brunch (the Proof benedict with cakes made of grits and country ham was much better than it sounds) and several good drinks at the bar (many invented by the fun bartender in a kilt).
We also had very nice massages in the "spa" on Sat morning. I use the term loosely, since it is quite minimalist. The therapists come in specifically for appointments only, apparently; don't try to walk in for a massage.
The most fun part were the moving red penguins, apparently the hotel signature. They are all over the place and the staff move them continually. We moved them, too, which was more fun than you might think. And for Easter weekend the staff placed candy-filled eggs all over the hotel, by the penguins, our doors, etc. Maybe this sounds silly, but the moving penguins and egg hunting was just kind of relaxing and whimsical.
I only had two complaints about the visit. They are fairly minor, but they could be a big deal, depending on what you are looking for. The hotel is in a renovated warehouse, so sound travels. The guy in the next room woke me up several times both nights with his loud voice (I could distinctly hear everything he was saying). I think this is a function of not enough insulation. This is easily remedied if you wear your earplugs or turn on the "massage mix" on the in-room i-pod. The other slight irritation was food/coffee availability. As another reviewer noted, there is no place to get any refreshments except for the restaurant hotel, Proof. Proof is really excellent, but also somewhat expensive. And it is not always open. So when I wanted a non-room cup of coffee at 11:30am on Saturday, I was in a quandry. This hotel is at the end of the newly-renovated downtown area, so there are not a lot of places to eat right there (there are some--Morton's Steakhouse, a sandwich place, and, as I finally learned, a coffee shop with eccentric hours). If you stay here, get in room service mode. That is what we learned and I was happier for it. Ask for your coffee and breakfast to be brought to your room every morning and just enjoy the art and nice bed.
In general, we really enjoyed our visit and would gladly go back.
Where others fail (think South Beach or Santa Monica or NYC) this is the real deal. Brilliant concept, extraordinary furnishings, nice gym/spa and an experience that is unlike any other.
I only got to stay here for one night but it was by far one of the nicest places I've ever stayed, not just in Louisville, but everywhere! The room was very spacious. I loved having the iPod in the room (and they did call me a couple of days before my arrival to find out what my music preferences were). The flat screen TV was also a nice touch and they offered the largest variety of channels I've seen for a hotel. Usually you only get like 10 channels but they had a good 30 channels, if not more, to choose from.
Room service, although a little pricey (but then again, isn't all room service pricey LOL) was very prompt. The vanilla pudding is worth every penny, BTW!
The only trouble I had was trying to connect to the wireless Internet connection but it worked out in the end.
I would definitely stay here again!
Churchill Downs
Conrad-Caldwell House wood flooring
reunion guys at the museum
Three screens with panorama extended on all 3
I am heading to Louisville for a convention and will be staying downtown - any advise on things to do?
Check out my website - www.go2.myarbonne.com - this is why I am going to Louisville in October. Sounds like fun if you ask me!
Thanks!
I was in Louisville last spring for a convention. I highly recommend the Marriott Downtown if you haven't made your reservations yet. The hotel opened last winter and one of the best rooms that I stayed in. Downtown has a lot of nice shops and restaurants. Nice area to roam around. Didn't have much time there to do actual attractions. The riverwalk was a nice place to kill a few minutes.
Check out O'Malley's Corner, Hard Rock Cafe, Bristol Bar and Grill is a great restaurant. During the week, you can't beat the breakfast at Metro Deli and Cafe. Frazier Historical Arms Museum is pretty cool. wheretogousa.com is a good source for Louisville stuff. Have fun!
Louisvlle is an exciting city that is growing in the most positive ways. Downtown is the waterfront park that covers most of the downtown area along the Ohio river, the gallery district along Market and Main St. ,Glassworks, the new 21C Hotel and contemporary art museum, the incredibel Frazier History Museum, Louisville SluggerBat factory and museum, Mohammad Ali Museum,JB Speed Art Museum, Actor's Theater, and much more..also the Bardstown Rd and Frankfort Avenue (all still close to downtown) have lots of great independent excellent restaurants. Enjoy Louisville!
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Address: 700 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
